The Yomiuri Shimbun
More than 33,000 people killed themselves in Japan in 2007, the 10th year in a row that the number of suicides exceeded 30,000, the National Police Agency announced Thursday.
It was the second-highest rate since statistics were first kept in 1978.
Among the 33,093 people who took their own lives in 2007, suicides by people in their 30s and those aged 60 or older hit record highs.
According to the latest data, many elderly people killed themselves because they felt lonely. Many people in the prime of their working lives committed suicide because they were fatigued from work. Many elderly people and people who have heavier social and financial burdens apparently felt socially isolated.
The number of suicides by people in their 60s or older was 12,107, 36.6 percent of the total and up 8.9 percent from the previous year. This age group made up the largest portion of the 2007 figure.
The number of suicides by people in their 50s was 7,046, down 2.8 percent from the previous year. However, the number of suicides by people in their 40s was 5,096--up 1.8 percent. The number of suicides by those in their 30s was 4,767--up 6 percent. People of working age--those in their 30s and 40s--accounted for 29.8 percent of the year's total.
Meanwhile, 3,309 people in their 20s killed themselves--down 2.5 percent, and 548 people 19 or younger killed themselves --down 12 percent. Included in that figure were eight primary school children, 51 middle school students and 215 high school students.
Of the total, 23,478 suicides were committed by men and 9,615 were committed by women.
The NPA specified motives for 23,209 suicides based on messages posted on Web sites and other sources.
Multiple motives are listed in many cases. The NPA counted all motives for each suicide in its 2007 figures for the first time, and added new motives including job-related fatigue; child-rearing trouble and bullying.
(Jun. 20, 2008)
It is a brilliant result of the Koizumi reform！
There are still many opinions to recommend Koizumi for the next prime minister.
Hmmmmm...interesting
That's twice as many suicides in Japan as murders in the US. Think about that.
I think the US will catch up soon enough. I suspect McCain is going to win the next "election" and after millions more are out of work and losing their homes. Likely another reason for the lower suicide rate is that pesky religion called Christianity. It says if you kill yourself you go to hell. But it also interpreted by Republicans to believe if you are not rich and do not support Israel, you go to hell as well.
Ok...sorry for the rant...I am done.